The first day of our enforced holiday whilst we wait for the next 13th Hour so that Cordelia can retrieve Allagahn from where ever he is lurking has been quite at least for me. Cordelia and Alfred have been off with Mandor most of the day apparently learning the basics of Sorcery.
I've spent most of the day exploring the Palace, at least those bits that are easily accessible. There are some parts that seem to require a degree of Logrus Mastery beyond what I've so far achieved to reach, so I'll have to leave exploring those for the time being.
I chose to look round the citadel today. The parts closest to the Black Road show signs of significant damage although repairs do now appear to be underway in some areas. The Black Road itself appears quite although the guards on the wall are still nervous and didn't welcome my presence. It seems that despite everything political intrigue and family rivalry are still rampant. The fact that I wasn't known placed me at the bottom on the pile. I think there are going to be a number of apologies due when they find out who I really am.
I had a strange visitor today. His name was Suhey and he is the Logrus Master here. It seems the presence of my sword hasn't gone unnoticed and he wanted to know how and where I got it. He became really angry when I told him my mother had given it to me after melding with her as a Logrus. He called me a liar and charlatan, then summoned the Logrus presumably to attack me with it. At that point my sword intervened of its own accord, by striking him. I wasn't aware it could act on its own, but then I felt my mothers presence both in me and the sword. At this point he became further incensed and stormed out. I fear there may be another storm brewing.
News of my altercation with Suhey has obviously done the rounds as I've had a mixed day today. Some people have decided they no longer wish to have anything to do with me whilst others have shown an unexpected interest. Mandor is obviously working Cordelia and Alfred hard as they are both starting to look tired. I also haven't been able to work out exactly what is going on between Cordelia and Hinkin, but he seems to make himself scarce as soon as she appears.
Having now spent several days here I'm starting to get a better feel for the place. Without doubt its still a male orientated and dominated society with one or two exceptions. There are at least 25 male Logrus adepts for every female one, primarily because of the methods Suhey appears to use to select candidates and determine suitability to assay it. Perhaps the Logrus here is harder to assay but I doubt if I'll ever find out. I have now made the acquaintance of three ladies from middling houses all of whom were rejected as candidates. Whether their only reason for befriending me is to learn the secrets of my Logrus only time will tell.
I'm just making a quick entry before we leave for Carnelian. Cordelia retrieved Allagahn, although she needed Alfred's help to do so and Allagahn didn't seem overly happy with his retrieval. It seems he resented Cordelia possessing him and walking him through the gate, but then I suppose my reaction would have been similar.
On other fronts the day has been most interesting. One of Suhey's minions tried to attack me with the Logrus but didn't achieve a great deal, His hand should heal within a week or two. If he's tried once I suspect he'll try again so I'm going to have to find some time to improve my skills. I've also found out that Cordelia is the current topic of amusement. It seems she hasn't twigged that Hinkin is not interested in females of any description, his tastes lie in other directions. Apparently there is a gambling game running as to how long its going to take her to realize this. There also appears to be a second game relating to which of another group of young lords will seduce her first. Whilst I wouldn't normally stoop to this sort of gambling I was forced to wager several thousand spondoolics to the effect that none of them would succeed. If I warn her then I lose the bet so my hands are now tied in the matter.
It seems our arrival this afternoon has upset Benedict. From a military view point he is quite correct, that if we can just waltz in through the tunnel then so could anybody else, although I believe that only half a dozen people know how to do it and three of those are in our group. Anyway after several days traveling it is nice to have a comfortable bath and decent bedroom.
That appears to be one of the differences between the days when Cordelia or Charity is leading and the days when Allagahn is leading, the accommodation is better . I suppose thats because they are women and therefore think of these things, where as Allagahn being a man thinks that anything will do.
We haven't as yet decided on exactly what were going to do. Charity and Alfred wanted to talk to Drasil which they're in the process of doing. I suppose we'll find out in the morning if it told them anything useful.
It seems the tree didn't have much of any use to say. As to what were going to do now we're not sure. Cordelia wants to go and take a closer look at one of the two Keeps. Charity wants to find out what Brand is doing or where he is. She would also like to know where the Jewel of Judgment is, which apparently Coral now sports as a replacement eye. None of us is keen on assaulting either of the Keeps which leaves us with Charity's options. It looks like she is going to try and scry for Bley's sword, Werewendle, that Brand took, and Cordelia is going to try and contact Coral by trump during the next 13th Hour. Allagahn has decided to go with her rather than rest here. He always wants everything yesterday and gets stropy when it doesn't happen at his speed..
Cordelia and Allagahn are back are we are about to go galavanting off again. Charity has been unable to locate Werewendle but then Cordelia failed to locate Coral, although she has formed the opinion that she is no longer alive. This is what we're going to check. She hopes that we can use the Pattern and Coral's trump to locate her and get the Pattern to teleport us there.
I don't really know what the date is or exactly where we are, although it looks and feels similar to the house we just left, which may have been a mansion house belonging to Coral. What ever happened there was not pleseant and Charity is of the opionion that Coral was decapitated whilst very much alive. Anyway what ever actually happened we found the head itself in a upsatairs bathroom, with a large ragged hole where her right eye should have been. There is also evidence that she had a son and that he is missing.
We would have liked more time to investigate but were forced to leave by the approach of a lynch mob and we chose flight rather than fight, although even that seemed very difficult. From the little Cordelia has told us somebody had severly messed with the shadow and locked out the Amber Pattern, Trump, and Magic. This is what caused her collapse when she tried to summon the Amber Pattern. The fact we were able to leave at all seems to be because the Carnelian pattern is sufficiently different that poweres based on it will operate but at a very much limited effect and with greater effort required by the wielder. I have to admit she did look very tired this evening.
Anyway we fled Coral's mansion via an ornate area of hedged garden and then we returned to apparently the same house but in a different but very close shadow. The history here seems similar in that a large number of demons arrived seeking the lady of the house but she had fled. They searched the house and then left. In the three weeks since this happened the staff have principly put the house to rights and are now wondering what to do next. Charity has managed to convince them that we are cousins who've traveled from over seas specifically to visit and we now have the hospitality of the house whilst we continue our investigations. What we hope to find in this shadow I don't know but Charity wants Cordelia to try some things in the morning.
Another day and another quick note. Cordelia's search revealed nothing, although Alfred's physical search of the house did reveal a safe which Charity opened. Inside were a pile of paper notes and a will. The paper note are apperently money, and Charity removed half to give to the staff, leaving the remainder behind. The will leaves the entirity of the estate to Coral's son Radix and names Mandor as God Father.
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